Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian
1.1M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
49.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 1.1M games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.1M games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.1M
- Best context
- 56.7% at 1400-1599 Classical
- Worst context
- 43.3% at 2000-2199 UltraBullet
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.1%
- Draws
- 4.9%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 53.9% at 0-999, 40.7% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | |||||
| 1000-1199 | |||||
| 1200-1399 | |||||
| 1400-1599 | |||||
| 1600-1799 | |||||
| 1800-1999 | |||||
| 2000-2199 | |||||
| 2200-2499 | |||||
| 2500+ |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (2,232 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (3,189 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (995 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 56.5% expected score (45 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (5,984 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (7,769 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (2,599 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 63.7% expected score (46 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 54.1% expected score (182 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (13,446 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (16,953 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (5,435 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 54.5% expected score (175 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.6% expected score (505 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (27,346 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (31,552 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (10,094 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 56.7% expected score (543 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.6% expected score (705 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (48,408 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (59,882 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (13,803 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.1% expected score (964 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 49.8% expected score (834 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (82,866 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (118,112 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (17,749 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.5% expected score (1,015 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 43.4% expected score (636 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (129,595 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (163,731 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (14,676 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 49.1% expected score (405 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (222 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (169,157 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (99,513 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.5% expected score (6,217 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 40.3% expected score (81 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 40.6% expected score (25 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (55,728 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.5% expected score (7,321 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 37.7% expected score (194 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 34.7% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian scores 49.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.4% and 49.5% — from 1.1M Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 1.1M+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate?
Playing the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian, Black wins 47.0%, draws 4.9% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 1.1M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian perform best?
The Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 52.5% (6.4K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 49.4% in Blitz (508K games) against 51.1% in Rapid (72K games).
How sharp is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian?
The Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian has a sharpness score of 95.1 (very decisive), meaning 95.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 51.1%, draws 2.8% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 6.4K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 49.4%, draws 2.5% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 48.9%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 36K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 49.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 70K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 124K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.2%, draws 4.3% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 221K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.0%, draws 5.4% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 309K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.0%, draws 5.9% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 275K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 43.3%, draws 6.7% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 63K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 48.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 47.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 535K Lichess games.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 46.5%, draws 5.8% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 508K Lichess games.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 48.1%, draws 6.0% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 72K Lichess games.
What is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 49.2%, draws 7.4% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games.
Is the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian a good opening?
The Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.0% of its games and loses 48.2%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.